SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP)—France’s Maxime Grousset came through at the death to win the men’s 50m butterfly gold at the world championships in Singapore on Monday.

Grousset touched the wall in 22.48sec to beat Switzerland’s Noe Ponti on 22.51 and Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (22.67).

The fast and furious race, which will appear at the Olympics for the first time at Los Angeles 2028, lived up to its billing with Grousset winning by the slimmest of margins.

“I don’t know how I swam this race but it’s very fast,” said the Frenchman.

Grousset went into the final as the fastest qualifier ahead of Ponti and Britain’s Ben Proud.

American Caeleb Dressel, twice a world champion in the event, is not competing in Singapore.

Grousset said the race’s inclusion in the Olympic programme in LA gives him more motivation to succeed.

“I work for this, it’s another race for me and another chance for a medal,” he said.

Ceccon, the 2023 world champion, went into the race having swum the 100m backstroke semi-finals less than half an hour earlier.